A/N: I lied. I got a new idea.

/

"Come in." Regina called from her desk, too busy with work to bother caring about anyone who wanted to interrupt.

Both doors to her office flew open and she looked up as Liam walked in. Her former soldier was dressed in all black, reminiscent of his Black Knight garbs. She remembered him vaguely, but she never really got to know any of her knights anyway, so it didn't surprise her.

"Madame Mayor." He dipped his head and stepped aside, revealing her visitor. The Evil Queen stepped forward and Regina fought the urge to throw her back out.

"What the hell do you want?"

"A moment of your time."

"You have some nerve." Regina scoffed, her lip curling in disgust. "Get out."

"It concerns Maleficent."

"So? She's your mate now. You made sure of it." Regina replied.

"It concerns her health."

Regina arched an eyebrow, wondering what had happened to the dragon in such a short amount of time. They'd had lunch just a few days ago. She sighed and against her will, motioned for the Queen to enter. She closed the file on her desk while her guest took a seat. Liam remained at attention by the door. Regina watched the Queen sit down, taking notice that despite being in a new world, her wardrobe remained as impressive as always. She couldn't see what she was wearing because she was wearing a long black coat, but it was clearly well made and complete with a collar of dark fur and of course there were jewels. No outfit was complete without them. The wild hairstyles had diminished however and Regina noticed that she often left her hair down, free to fall where it wished.

"What's wrong with Mal?"

"She's pregnant."

Regina licked her lips, struggling to keep her emotions in check. She didn't know how she felt. Angry, jealous, disgusted at the thought of Mal sleeping with the thing in front of her. "She told me she wasn't yet."

"We only recently found out and had it confirmed with a doctor. She's fine. Excited. But the problem lies in what will come in about seven months."

"She's going to need to feed her dragon form." Regina surmised. Dragons gave birth in dragon form. In seven months or so, Mal will change into dragon form and build her nest for her to have her children and she won't change back until she's given birth. That meant a lot more food was needed, especially now that she had doubled the size of her dragon and would only grow larger during her pregnancy.

"Yes, and your town is nowhere near large enough to support a pregnant dragon of her size and caliber. I only came to inform you that I have expanded the borders of Storybrooke considerably to accommodate her." She waved her hand and a rolled up map appeared in it. She placed it on the table. "I figured it would be better to ask for forgiveness than permission."

Regina scowled as she unrolled the map. "You just came to gloat."

"Incorrect. Mal was the one worried about people potentially getting lost in her new territory. Along with it, comes an increase in wildlife that you should notify your people about. There's a list on the map. She's also marked the borders with dragon fire, but we all know about the fools of this town going places they shouldn't. I'm still making improvements to it so don't fret if you feel a few aftershocks."

"Aftershocks?"

"Aftershocks." The Queen smirked.

"I suppose I should offer my congratulations then." Regina said through gritted teeth. The Evil Queen either ignored her tense words or just didn't care as she genuinely smiled and thanked her.

"What gift are you making for Lily?" Regina asked.

Her former counterpart smiled. "You'll see soon enough. That one will take some time, but it will be worth it."

"If you hurt anyone-"

"Very few people concern me anymore, Regina." Came the curt retort. "Beyond my family, I don't really care about anyone else."

Regina scoffed. "Are you serious right now?"

The Evil Queen nodded. "Why should they matter? You and I know they're all idiots. I don't understand why you bother to defend them, especially the Charmings after what they did to Lily and Mal. You and I know the truth about them and every fool in this town. You and I both know you will never fully be one of them. You want to be, of course, but they will never forget what you've done or let you forget it. They will take every chance they can to use it against you if you do not conform to their idea of a hero. It's what they do. For that, I ask you why should they matter." Regina swallowed, her rage starting to boil down. It was perhaps one of the few times since her return that the Evil Queen seemed sincere in her words. She wasn't gloating, wasn't smirking, wasn't being purposefully annoying. There was something else in her eyes that Regina wasn't able to name. "I'm a villain. I have no problem being a villain. Call me what you will. I just want to be me. I've hurt many people and caused a lot of destruction, possibly might hurt more. The only ones I will ever attempt to protect is my family. Within a year, I will have everything I have ever desired. As unbelievable as it may sound, I want the same for you."

"Yes, it does sound unbelievable. To be honest, you caring about anyone sounds unbelievable. You expect me to believe this stupid little act you're putting on?"

The Evil Queen opened her mouth to say something but seemed to change her mind. "Have a good day, Madame Mayor." She turned and made her departure, Liam following after her as she did so. Regina rolled her eyes and looked down at the map she left. Storybrooke for the most part, remained the same, but a massive new section had been added to the original to the west. It was large enough to support more herds of animals for Mal to feast on whenever she was ready, as well as gave her more space to fly or do whatever dragons liked to do without disturbing the town. Pregnant. Mal was pregnant. With a scream of frustration she threw the map across the room. The doors to her office flew open and Emma stormed in.

"Regina! What's going on? I saw the Evil Queen leave. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Regina snapped, sitting back down in her chair.

"Why'd you scream?"

"Mal is pregnant."

"Wow." Emma said, closing the doors behind her and walking to the desk, taking the seat previously used by the Evil Queen. "They didn't waste any time." Her comment earned her a glare. "What did she want?"

"She expanded the borders around Storybrooke so Mal could have enough food."

"Maleficent can't just go to the store like a normal person?"

"She's not a normal person. She's a dragon."

Emma rolled her eyes. "I don't get why you all act like she's so fucking perfect. If anything she's just an entitled bitch who thinks she can do anything because she's a dragon and she's rich. She doesn't deserve you."

Regina looked up at her. "You think I loved Maleficent because I thought she was perfect? She's everything you said she was. There's a hundred reasons why she's not perfect, and a hundred more on why I loved her anyway. I just...wish things were different." She would always wish things were different and that she hadn't been so foolish, but she knew she would get through it. As she always did.

"You gonna be able to handle it? Seeing them with their kids." Emma asked.

Regina shrugged. "I'll have no choice. In a way, I'm happy for Mal. I just hate Reina." She said mockingly.

"Who is that?"

"That's the Evil Queen's name now."

"She just took out the 'G'? How creative."

"I believe it's because Reina still means queen." Regina leaned back in her chair with a sigh. Pregnant. Mal was pregnant. She almost couldn't believe it, but the more she thought about it, the happier she got for her former lover. Mal always wanted more children and she deserved more. She deserved a giant family. She always wanted one. "Where's Henry?"

"At home, locked away in his room with his comic books." Emma shrugged. "Why don't you take some time off? Spend the day with and forget about Maleficent and Reina."

"I can't. I have a dinner date with Lily."

"She can come too." Emma shrugged.

"We both know you hate that idea. As would she."

"Of course I do, but I suppose I can stand her for one dinner."

Regina smirked and checked the time. "It would have to be another time. Lily is practicing on the poles today and I promised her I would attend."

"What's the poles? Something to do with dragons?"

"Indeed."

Emma rolled her eyes. "And you really have to be there for that?"

"No, but I want to." Regina replied. "I want to see her accomplish everything she wants to do. I want to see her grow into a powerful young dragon and you might not understand it. Until not too recently, I didn't know I had a daughter. Now I want to know everything about her, I want to see her fight and train and grow strong. If she wasn't taken, she would know how to do all of this already."

"I get it, but you do have another kid too." Emma said.

"I am well aware of that, Miss Swan." Regina retorted. She would've liked for Lily to get to know Henry too, but neither one seemed to want a relationship with the other and were willing to leave it at that. She checked the time again and got to her feet. "I have to get ready to go."

"I'll come with. I'll bring Henry and we can watch Lily do her pole dance and then we can go grab some dinner at Granny's."

"Emma…"

The blonde only grinned at her and waltzed out of the room. Regina rolled her eyes and went back to work for a few more minutes, wrapping up a few more documents before packing up her desk. She grabbed her coat as she went out the door and picked up Emma and Henry at the house before driving to the beach.

"So, what is this pole thing again?" Emma asked.

"A test of agility and strength. It's a bit of an ancient practice but Lily is learning dragon history at the moment and wanted to try it." Regina parked at the beach and got out of the car, already recognizing the tall, thick poles dug into the ground, each one separated from the others on all sides by at least a few feet. There was a wooden scaffolding down the middle of them with Mal walking along them, testing the weight. Lily was nearby, sparring with Mulan, both in full battle armor. The Evil Queen was ever present, lounging on a cushioned throne while Liam sat on a bench next to her, watching their daughter spar. Lily was a good warrior by now, but Mulan was a far more experienced soldier and ended up taking the win.

"Mom! You made it." Lily grinned, making her way over to Regina to give her a hug. "Come to watch me get my ass handed to me again?" She asked, removing her armor and letting it all fall to the sand at her feet. Underneath it, she was wearing her workout gear, with the added bonus of leather greaves on her legs and a leather vest to train in.

"I came to watch you fall off one of those poles." Regina smiled.

Lily scoffed. "What are you talking about? I'm going to win my first match today. Mom hasn't done the poles since she was young and fast. Now she's old and slow." She grinned, glancing over her shoulder at Mal, who pretended she wasn't listening, but had no doubt heard her challenge. She looked at Mulan. "Thanks for the quick lesson by the way."

"Anytime. It keeps my skills sharp."

"You ever need anything, you let me know."

Mal slammed the butt of her staff against the platform and Lily turned around, letting out a nervous, but excited breath.

"You've got this, Lily." Regina said, patting her on the shoulder.

Lily nodded and started towards the Evil Queen, accepting a few words of encouragement from her as well before walking over to the first pole and teleporting onto the platform across from Mal. Regina walked over to the bench and took a seat next to Liam. She didn't even glance at her former counterpart. Early on she realized that she would still be seeing the Evil Queen and Mal on quite a regular basis because of Lily. Despite Lily's attempts to make her as comfortable as possible by keeping them as far away from each other as she could. She didn't care about her past relationship though if it concerned her daughter. It hurt, and it would always hurt, but moments like this, watching her train with Mal, Regina would take any day. Even if she did have to sit next to the Evil Queen.

"What does she have to do?" Emma asked, watching Lily conjure her staff.

"Defeat Mal."

"You're telling me she wants to defeat a dragon queen with years of experience compared to her?"

"She would have years of experience if it wasn't for your parents." The Evil Queen commented.

Emma glanced at her, but let it go. "What does this pole thing have to do with anything anyway?"

"Maleficent is teaching Lily all of the things she would've taught her." Regina answered. "Combat is a natural skill for dragons. They excel in it, revel in it. They are great warriors and love to fight."

"Then why aren't there more dragons?" Henry asked.

"I'm sure there are, but you'll never find them. Many in the Enchanted Forest were hunted for their gold, their scales or for glory. We often thought that Mal was the last of her kind...That's another reason why Lily was so important."

Regina turned back to the battle as it began...and ended in five seconds. Lily attacked and all it took for Mal to knock her off balance was a quick shot to her knee. Lily managed to catch herself as she landed in the sand, but both Regina and the Evil Queen stood up to see if she was alright.

"I'm fine." Lily called, teleporting back to the starting position.

"You're still thinking too hard. Trust yourself. I have taught you and trained you, but none of that compares to your natural instincts." Mal instructed. "Close your eyes and take a deep breath." Lily planted her staff in front of her and closed her eyes. "You were raised as a human. Your senses are dulled beyond belief. I need you to wake up." Regina arched an eyebrow, watching Lily carefully. The Evil Queen leaned forward in her seat. "You are fire incarnate, flames made flesh and yet, you're as slow as a human. You are not a human! You are much more. You are a dragon. A fire breathing beast and royalty. You need to wake up, Lilith." Mal took a swing with her staff and Lily leaned back at the last second. "Very good." Lily suddenly struck out with her staff and Mal nearly missed blocking it. Lily's eyes glowed golden and she started to smile. "Shall we begin again?" Mal asked. Regina found herself grinning with pride as the pair began their dance again. This time, Lily was able to keep up. They started moving faster and faster, sometimes even leaping across the poles with an agility that amazed those watching.

"She's gotten a lot better." Emma commented.

"She has." Henry agreed.

"She can only get better." said Liam.

Mother and daughter went at it for a few minutes more until both went for the same swing. Mal's staff snapped in half, triggering an explosion of magic. Regina raised a shield around them to block the wave of sand and splinters of wood that rushed to meet them. As soon as she could, she dropped it and raced to Lily, who was blown further down the beach. The Evil Queen took off for Mal, who hadn't moved.

"Should I call somebody?" Emma asked, racing after Regina.

Regina didn't even hear her. She sank to the sand next to her daughter and moved her hair out of her face. "Are you alright?"

"No, it's my ribs." Lily hissed. "And my arms. I can't move. I-I can't-"

"Calm yourself. Deep breaths." Regina commanded, raising her hands over Lily's torso. It took more energy than expected to treat her injuries and by the end of it, Regina felt the drain on her magic, but she was glad that Lily was okay.

"Is Mom okay? I didn't mean to hit her that hard-"

"Relax, Lily." Regina glanced back at Mal already being helped to her feet by the Evil Queen. "She seems to be fine. You however, are going to be sore for a few days." She and Emma stood up and each took hold of one of Lily's arms to help her back up, but Lily popped back up to her feet on her own, eyes still a piercing shade of gold. "Oh no." Lily made a beeline for her blonde mother, running as if nothing had happened.

"Oh no what?" Emma asked.

"She must've absorbed some of the magic from the blast. This should be interesting."

"Mom, are you-" Lily didn't even get the words out before Mal tackled her into the sand.

"I've had that staff my entire life. I have fought a hundred wars, faced thousands of enemies and never once have I broken it or had it broken. I couldn't be more proud of you."

"You're not mad?"

"Absolutely not." Mal stood up and pulled her daughter to her feet. "However, we need to expend this excess energy we must've absorbed."

"So you feel like setting something on fire too? Where's Emma's car?"

"What?" Emma said.

"I have a better idea." The Evil Queen smirked. "Get some weapons, some armor, I'll be right back." She walked back over to her throne and uttered a spell, causing a podium to rise out of the ground. She conjured a small crystal and placed it on top. Regina returned to her seat, trying to see exactly what she was doing. The top of the podium turned into some kind of board with a dial and a bunch of buttons. "Are you ready?" Regina looked back at Mal and Lily, who were now properly outfitted in a black leather suit and a red set of armor. Mal conjured a new staff and Lily picked up her staff to do battle. Both were antsy and hopping from foot to foot.

"What are you doing?" Henry asked. The Evil Queen paused to look sideways at him, but never replied. She simply turned back to creating her board and ignored him.

"And done." She pressed a button and turned the dial. Blue electricity shot through the podium and across the beach, a squad of at least a dozen armored knights appeared. Clad from head to toe in shining steel and wielding heavy longswords, they made for a deadly enemy. The Evil Queen pressed another button and turned the dial two more times, conjuring up a dozen foot soldiers and a few archers. "Have fun, my loves."

Mal and Lily exchanged grins and charged forward. They instinctively dropped into a sound strategy. Mal bore the brunt of the attack from their armored soldiers and Lily took care of the lackeys. Both of them dodged the arrows or used their enemies as human shields. They moved like a well oiled machine and Regina could see traces of Mal in Lily's movements. They were having fun. They slayed the conjured enemies in only five minutes.

The Evil Queen turned the dial again and pressed a few more buttons, conjuring a massive army across the beach. Regina instantly knew what she had in mind. She watched her counterpart take off running to join in the fight, changing into one of her old battle suits at the same time. The Evil Queen drew a black sword and lit it on fire.

Emma's eyebrows touched her hairline to see the Evil Queen, fighting side by side with Lily and Mal against the conjured enemies like she was born to do it. She seemed to enjoy the thrill of battle just as much as the dragons and it made her wonder if Regina felt the same. She glanced over at the madame mayor, who watched the battle silently, but closely, her fingertips twitching and her leg shaking anxiously. "You can go ahead, you know." Regina looked at her and shook her head, her nervous ticks ceasing.

When the army was defeated, Lily picked up her brunette mother and spun around. "That was so much fun!" She dropped her on the ground and flexed her arms. "I feel amazing! Whoo!"

"They're going to crash in a couple minutes." Liam said, rising to his feet.

"I know." Mulan smirked.

They walked towards the family, who were deep in conversation, celebrating their victory. That was when Mal swayed slightly. The Evil Queen was quick to steady her and Mulan nearly fell attempting to catch Lily as she almost collapsed.

Maleficent felt her vision begin to swim and tightened her grip on Reina. "I need to go lay down."

Lily was by her mother's side instantly. "Of course. We'll take you home and-"

"You have a date with Regina. I am in good hands." Mal smiled at her and leaned against Reina.

"You're sure you're okay?"

"I've felt worse, dear." The pair teleported away and Lily went with Regina. Reina lead Mal into the bedroom and hurriedly moved all of the pillows and pulled back the sheets so Mal could lay down. With a wave of her hand, Mal was clean and smelled of fresh roses and her training attire was removed entirely, leaving her spotless and naked. "Thank you." Reina smiled proudly at her and made a turning motion with her finger. The dragon rolled onto her stomach and Reina removed her great coat to climb on Mal's back and begin giving her a back massage. Mal's purring grew louder as she relaxed under her lover's fingertips. "She did me proud today."

"It shouldn't come as a surprise. She is ours."

"I know." Mal sighed. "Every day I imagine her conquering worlds, fighting side by side with you and her in battle."

"Sounds wonderful." Reina smiled.

"Are you almost done with her gift?"

"Yes, but not quite. Tomorrow, we shall have a party though. I feel like celebrating. I've already sent out invitations."

"People will willingly come to a party that the Evil Queen is advertising?" Mal asked.

"I am very persuasive."

The dragon snorted and turned her head to the side, looking at her mate out of one eye. Reina was too busy kneading the kinks out of her back to notice and Mal thought it was cute how she was so focused on such a small task. "Reina."

"Hmm?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to say your name."

Reina paused and looked at her, narrowing her eyes. "Don't distract me by trying to be cute."

"Trying?"

Reina smirked and leaned forward to peck her cheek. "Now stop so I can finish this. I have a lot to do today and you will not distract-" In the blink of an eye Mal had reversed their position, pinning her mate beneath her with ease.

"You were saying?" She purred.

Reina's nostrils flared "You are very lucky."

"Why?"

"Because you are you. Otherwise I would have to snap your neck for that."

"Oh please. You enjoy being beneath me."

"I don't enjoy being beneath anyone." Reina hissed vehemently, pushing her off and sitting up, turning her back to Mal.

"Did I overstep, dear? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." She purred soothingly and reached out to touch Reina's shoulder. Reina flew backwards and wrapped her arms around Mal's neck. With a heave, she flipped herself and took Mal with her, throwing them across the bed. Reina ended up on top with a smug grin plastered across her face. "Clever."

"Thank you."

"Of course you know this means war."

"To war then." Reina grinned, leaning down to plant a heart stopping kiss on her mate's lips. "Win or lose, I have everything I've ever wanted." Maleficent smiled at her sweet words. "Now get some rest, please. Or Lily will have my head."

"As you wish." Mal slid beneath the sheets. Against her will, she was asleep not too long later.

Reina left her to take a shower, washing the smell of salt and sea water out of her hair. She put on a robe and braided her hair, laying it over her shoulder. She would spend the next half hour meticulously preparing lunch for her beloved. She left the tray on her side of the bed, placing a rose next to it and a small crystal on the tray as well. The crystal made the air around it ripple with magic and it formed a transparent sphere around the food, ensuring it retained its temperature and freshness until Mal awoke to consume it. With that done, she went into the living room so as not to disturb the sleeping mother of her children. Taking a seat on the couch, she picked up the notebook that had been left there and read the first page, smiling at the list of names she and Mal had spent the morning bickering over. They had decided to go with a roman theme, like her original name had been. There were so many beautiful ones they had gone through but she knew they couldn't choose a name until the child was born. Or children. She sincerely hoped it was the latter, but was also terrified of the possibility. The Evil Queen as a mother. Would her child be happy about that? Would they face ridicule or be bullied because of their parents? Would they hate her because of it? Memories of raising Henry entered her mind against her will and she had to force herself not to think of him, not to think like she was still Regina.

The front door opened and closed and Lily walked into the room. Reina barely heard her. "Mom, you okay?"

"Yes. Just thinking."

"About what?" Lily removed her shoes and coat and came to sit on the couch next to her mother.

"About the future. Being a mother."

Lily scoffed. "You'll be fine. I know you will." She didn't want to be fine. She wanted to be great.

"Sometimes I remember things that feel incomplete." Reina said.

"Your memories have been messed up since you and Regina got separated."

"I remember the important things, but lately, I can't help but think of the idiot child my counterpart claims. I remember all too well some of the years she raised him, being happy and loved. Then his eyes turned cold and filled with hate. Because he found out she was...me. What if-"

"No, no, no." Lily said. "You know Henry. This child, these children, will not be like him. They will look at you and see the exact same thing that I see." Reina looked up at her, wondering what she meant. "They will see their mother. To a child, their parents are the greatest things in the world. They will see a powerful and beautiful woman who can do anything. One day, you will look in the mirror and see the same thing and you will feel it."

"You really believe that?"

"I do. And one day you will too. I'll make sure of it."

Reina let out a soft sigh. "Thank you, Lilith. I don't know where this foolish insecurity is coming from."

"Everyone has insecurities. You're not exempt because you're the Evil Queen." Lily smiled. "No one is." She stood up and moved to the fireplace, adding in some more logs. "How's Mom?"

"Sleeping." Reina answered. "And glowing with pride." Lily blushed in the firelight and her mother smiled.

"Any problems with your heart? Find out anything new?"

Reina nodded and moved to sit near the fire. She rolled up the sleeve of her robe and reached into the flames. The fire licked at her arm, but she felt no pain, only a little heat. She pulled out one of the burning logs and showed it to Lily. "We found out this morning. Other than some slight adjustment to my senses, there's been no problems."

"Slight adjustments?" Lily frowned.

Reina placed the log back into the fire. Ever since she had become Maleficent's mate, things felt different. Her senses were a little sharper. She could smell things she never would've noticed before, hear things too far to be heard and see more than she ever could before. Every day her senses got a little bit stronger. Mal had warned her of the changes from her mating, but any that came with her heart transplant could not be foreseen. She would never be a full dragon. The extended life span, unnatural strength and stamina, and boost to her magic were all traits she would never be able to utilize without spells. They were all things that came naturally to those with dragon's blood. She wasn't able to take dragon form and probably wouldn't be able to for a while, but she couldn't wait for it. More than anything she wanted to fly with her mate and her daughter.

"I thought you were going to carry the baby." Lily commented.

"As did I, but seeing how Mal is a bit more experienced in giving birth to dragons, I'm glad I'm not." She shrugged. "Either way, it doesn't matter who carries the baby, so long as they're born healthy."

"I agree." Lily said, getting to her feet. "Want to play a game of chess?"

Reina nodded. "Of course." She accepted her daughter's hand and was pulled up to her feet as well. "By the way, we're going to a party tomorrow."

"A party? For what?" Lily asked.

"For you."

/

Her mothers would choose her attire for the evening. The dress was simple and aristocratic, fitted to her form beautifully that stopped a little above her knee. It was a black dress and threaded with lines of crimson and scarlet and accented with a texture that resembled dragon was a bit snug, but comfortable. A golden dragon claw necklace was placed around her neck. "Is all of this necessary?" Reina did her makeup for her and Mal did her hair. Both of them were already raring to go. Mal chose to wear a regal black dress with a golden bodice covered in matching metalwork, along with golden bracers and bracelets. Since Reina was especially happy today, she wore something brighter than her usual attire. A royal blue gown was her choice. A belt made of silver and diamonds wrapped around her waist depicting two fighting dragons. A simple diamond necklace was her last piece of jewelry.

"Yes." Reina grinned, bouncing excitedly. "I hope you will love this."

"I'm sure I will." Lily smirked, putting on her earrings. Reina and Mal teleported them straight to the library that by now was mostly abandoned. "Wait, I thought we were going to the old factory you bought."

"I have other plans for that, changed my mind about it." Reina replied, leading the way into the library. The books were gone and the place was filled with nothing but empty shelves.

"What-"

"Relax. I bought the place and had another library built across town."

"There's nothing here. Why would you buy a library that doesn't have any books?" Lily asked as they walked to the back where an elevator awaited them with a smiling Liam waiting near it like a bouncer.

"I don't give a damn about the library or the books. It's what's underneath it." They stepped into the elevator and Reina pulled a lever. The glass doors closed and they began their descent.

"This is where I was trapped when Regina cast the curse." Maleficent explained. "Reina bought the library for the cavern underneath it."

"What for?" Lily asked. Her mothers refused to answer so she simply enjoyed the ride. A moment later, the elevator made it past the top layer of rock and stone, entering the vast cavern beneath Storybrooke. Her jaw hit the floor at the sight of the massive party going on. Golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling while bright lights ran up the walls. People were dancing, playing pool and casino style games, diving and swimming in a giant three tier pool, watching two knights sword fight on a wooden platform. There were tables piled with food and sweets. A glowing bar dominated an entire wall with six tall shelves of liquor. Music with a heavy bass shook the stone around them. The entire place was magnificent. It was like stepping into another world. "This place is awesome!"

"Before you go off to enjoy yourself, follow me." Reina said, looping an arm through her daughter's. Lily took in the sights as she was led to the great throne made of stone scarred by dragon fire. "Take your place, Princess."

"What is this?" Lily asked.

"It's only the start, but you'll understand soon enough."

Lily gave her a skeptical look before striding to the throne. Silence crashed over the room in an instant and she looked back at the gathered faces, all staring at her. She swallowed and kept going until she reached the throne. Golden designs had been engraved into the stone and she could feel her mother's fire radiating from the burn scars. She still didn't understand what Reina's plan for her was or what she expected Lily to become. The grand gestures were nothing new, but this...was something else entirely.

Lily turned around and sat down on the throne. Veins of sparkling gold and red raced from the throne, running all along the walls and lighting up the room even further, bathing them all in a brilliant golden glow. A deafening round of cheers rose from the people, shocking her so badly she nearly spat fire. She smiled a little at seeing her mothers in the front row. A proud Regina waded through the crowd and came to stand next to Maleficent. She wore a simple black gown, but was stunning nonetheless. Eventually, Lily got up from the throne and waved everyone away, letting them go back to enjoying the party. She approached her mothers and walked into Mal's arms. "Thanks."

"You deserve much more." Reina said. "But for now, this will do until the rest of my gift is complete. Like it?"

"I do. It's amazing." Lily gave her a hug as well before leaning back. "How much did you pay these people to do this? Or did you threaten them?"

"I threatened them with a good time." Reina smirked. "They also didn't need much convincing. It's actually a bit shocking considering I'm me."

Lily gave her a look and Reina smiled in reply, taking Mal's hand and leading her away to play some games. She looked at Regina.

"You look nice on a throne." Her mother said, pulling her into her arms.

"Thanks, Mom. You want to play a game?"

"No, you should go and join your friends. I won't be staying too long."

"Why? You okay?" Lily frowned in concern.

Regina nodded. "Just not in a party mood tonight. However, I couldn't not show up since it was for you." They started to walk back to the elevator and Lily smiled seeing Liam dancing on a dance machine while Aurora cheered him on and Mulan watched, looking at both like they were crazy.

"Oh, well, thank you anyways. Hey, I got you a gift then." She stepped in front of Regina to block her from the sight of her blonde mother in case she happened to glance over. She conjured an ornate glass decanter full of a dark liquor.

"That's Mal's Fire Rock scotch." Regina glanced behind her to make sure Mal was busy. "You're crazy. She'll kill us both."

"Maybe. She doesn't know I have this, but she did send you some Red-Gold wine." She conjured another bottle of liquor.

Regina took both and teleported them away with a devious grin. "I'll be enjoying those tonight."

Lily smiled. "You sure you won't stay? Just for a little bit?"

Regina glanced at the door and let out a small sigh before shrugging. "Just for a little bit."

"YES! Okay, here's what we're going to do first. We're going to play some games, eat some food, then we're going to hustle Liam out of all his money."

"What?" Regina smirked.

"Believe me when I say he deserves it."

"I trust you. What's the plan?"

"First question: can you throw daggers?"

"Who can't throw daggers?" Regina scoffed.

"Does he know you can?"

"Not that I know of."

"Excellent. Now, here's the plan…"

It turned out to be a fun evening and she and Lily managed to successfully hustle Liam out of $500 by pretending she wasn't very good at the knife throwing game. It was around midnight when she excused herself from the party, leaving the rest to enjoy their night. It pleased her to see her daughter so happy, surrounded by family and new friends. She deserved it and so much more. She wished the world for her child and she knew Mal and the Evil Queen would do their best to give it to her. But there was no reason why she couldn't do the same. She would not be pushed to the side when it came to Lily.

Storybrooke was quiet as Regina walked home, enjoying the cold night air. She was a little intoxicated, a little tipsy, but not so much that she was worried. In hindsight, she should've been. A rough hand grabbed her arm out of nowhere and she spun around, struggling to focus on the man who had the gall to touch her without permission. Her magic flared up on instinct but before she could even retaliate she was dragged off her feet and she hit the ground. Pain shot through her skull before the world went dark.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Three days passed and Lily was starting to lose her mind. "She's not answering. It's been three days since I last spoke to her and she hasn't called me back." She said, pacing the living room. "She always texts back. Even when she's busy."

"Have you spoken to the Charmings?" Mal asked. Her blonde mother had been reading a book, but she put it down when her anxious daughter walked into the room.

"I did. They haven't seen her either. I knew she shouldn't have walked home after the party. She had some drinks. I should've gone with her."

"Lilith." Mal took her hand and pulled her onto the couch next to her. "Calm yourself. I'm sure Regina is fine."

"And if she's not?"

"Then we will find her." Mal assured her. "She can't have gone far."

Lily sighed. "I know she's a grown woman and a powerful magic practitioner, but I still worry. I know she has her moments where she likes to be alone, but three days is a long time to be gone. I could be worrying for nothing-"

"It doesn't matter. We'll make sure she's okay to put your mind at ease." Mal said. "We'll check her usual spots and if she's not there, we can try a locator spell."

Lily nodded. "Thanks, Mom. I know you might not be as concerned-"

Mal silenced her with a sharp growl, her gaze turning hard. "If you truly believe that just because Regina and I are not together that I no longer care for her, you have learned nothing about me. If something has happened to Regina, whoever has caused it, will be burned alive."

"I didn't mean to upset you." Lily said softly.

"It's fine. I'll always care for Regina. No matter what happens between us." Mal stood up. "Let's check the forest first. She goes there to think."

They didn't make it two steps before the front door opened and Reina made her way inside. "Hello, darlings." Mal and lily both gave her a kiss to welcome her home. "Going somewhere?"

"Lily is worried about Regina. They haven't talked in a few days and Regina's not answering her phone."

"She's fine." Reina scoffed, walking into the kitchen. Lily quickly followed her while Mal took a more labored approach. She leaned against the kitchen doorway while Lily followed Reina around the kitchen island.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. She was at a log cabin on the lake with some brunette."

"Why were you on the lake?" Mal asked.

"Looking for a willow tree."

"Why were you looking for a willow tree?"

"I think they're pretty." Reina shrugged, disappearing into the pantry. Maleficent frowned slightly. It was not the first time her mate had disappeared in the past couple weeks. Mal always assumed it was because of the party but she'd been gone the past few days as well. In the span of that she had even made some improvements to the house. Along with the beginnings of a nursery, Reina had expanded the kitchen and filled it with only the freshest of fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices and meats so as to make sure that Mal only ate the best of the best. She was the one who added in the extra territory to Storybrooke and enlarged the borders but Mal and Lily had been forbidden from going there just yet.

"Another gift, Queen?" Lily asked.

"Maybe. Maybe not. You'll just have to wait and see." Reina replied. "Now go relax, Regina seemed fine. I'm sure she'll call you soon."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The room was freezing cold when Regina awoke in a bedroom that wasn't her own. Drawing her tongue across dry lips, she moved to sit up and looked around the room. Pale light slipped through the blinds nearby but she could see that it was a gloomy day, cloudy and cold. The room had a rustic appeal to it, like a luxury log cabin with a cold fireplace. What happened? She rubbed her wrists and looked down at them, seeing ugly burns wrapped around them and it was only then that she remembered the handcuffs and the fight she endured to remove them.. Movement from another part of the house drew her attention and she quickly threw off the covers and tried to stand. The floor was much harder than it looked. Despite the carpeting it did sting when her attempt to get out of bed failed miserably. Her legs gave out and she hit the floor with a soft thud. "Fuck." She pushed herself up and started to crawl around the bed to the door behind it. She flinched when a door opened behind her.

"Trying to escape, are we?" A soft voice asked behind her, sending a chill down her spine.

"Wait. No!" Regina cried out as a hand clamped around her ankle and pulled her back…

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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